LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT: Raúl Esparza Sets Season 22 Return
December 3, 2020 by Marisa Roffman
Photo by NBC/Michael Parmelee/NBC – © 2017 NBCUniversal Media, LLC
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT is welcoming back yet another familiar face in 2021.
Raúl Esparza, who was on the show from season 14-19, is reprising his character Rafael Barba in the January 7th episode,”Sightless in a Savage Land,” Give Me My Remote has confirmed.
But this go-round will find the former ADA in very different territory: the defense counsel. In the episode, he takes on a client being prosecuted by now-ADA Carisi (Peter Scanavino), and the ensuing courtroom drama causes serious conflict between Benson’s (Mariska Hargitay) SVU squad and Chief Garland (Demore Barnes). (Uh oh…)
Barba last appeared on the show in a season 21 episode video-chatting with Olivia.
Esparza is the latest SVU vet to return in season 22, with Tamara Tunie (who played Dr. Warner off-on since 2000) appearing in the December 3 episode and Chris Meloni returning to launch his spinoff in early 2021.
LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT, Thursdays, 9/8c, NBC
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Filed under #1 featured, Law & Order, SVU
So excited about Elliot having a spin-off. I never understood why, after such a close partnership, he never stopped back to connect with Liv.
Love Carisi but he is way over his head and I absolutely despise Hadid.
Don’t ever lose Finn.
IMO, Barba is the best and most interesting character SVU has ever had. I wish Raul Esparza would return as a regular again, or get his own spin-off.
He definitely was the best on the show as ADA. I miss him. I so wish he would come back.
I enjoy and absolutely 💙 all of them, Liv, Finn, Carisi, Amanda, and Katt. They make a great team! Can’t wait to see Stabler – him & Liv made a great duo/team! Looks like Barbs, is back too! They went through a lot of ADA’S, but the best ones was Cabot, Novak & Barba. This season is going to be good!! #HugeLaw&OrderFan!!!!